Circumferential cylinder register mechanism for rotary printing machines



Nov. 24, 1953 M RAS 2,660,115 CIRCUMFERENTIAL CYLINDER REGISTERMECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Filed D80- 28, 1949 mum/ram Max RS v 37 MMIL, -e PM ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 24, 1953 CIRCUMFERENTIALCYLINDER REGISTER MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Max Ras,Zurich, Switzerland Application December 28, 1949, Serial No. 135,424

Claims priority, application Switzerland January 7, 1949 2 Claims. (Cl.101-248) My present invention relates, generally, to improvements inrotary rolling-contact printing machines and, in particular, to thecircumferential cylinder registering mechanism thereof.

In offset machines, to which my present invention has special reference,the cylinders are driven through a pair of helical gear wheels, and theadditional rotation of a cylinder required for circumferential cylinderregistering is brought about through axially displacing one of said gearwheels.

When the driving gear wheels are rigidly connected to the appurtenantcylinders, which is of advantage from the standpoint of operation, someof said gear wheels and also the cylinder blankets and plates have to bemade of excessive width or length, since on adjusting the lateralcylinder register it may happen that the spurgear driven plate cylinderhas to be displaced toward one machine side, while the adjustment of thecircumferential cylinder register, which in ofiset machines is done onthe offset or rubber cylinder, may require a displacement toward theother machine side. Another adjusting device, which does not possess thesaid advantage, has a gear train intermediate of the cylinders, whichtrain comprises two rim gears of different diameters and may operate asconventional or as epicyclic gear drive. By means of such lattergearing, the cylinder while rotating may be reset through a stationaryadjusting mechanism. Such device, however, has the disadvantage that theentire force for driving the cylinders has to pass through theserelatively small planet wheels which thus are given a comparatively highnumber of revolutions. The multiple tooth engagements may cause anincreased backlash, wh1ch again may cause register differences.

In the mechanism according to my present invention, the displaceablehelical gear wheel comprises a further lateral toothed rim which engagesa rim provided with inside teeth, which latter rim is connected to thegear wheel keyed to the cylinder axle.

One form of my present invention is shown by way of example in theaccompanying draw- In Fig. l, a plate or form cylinder I, a rubbercylinder 2, and a counterpressure cylinder 3 are mounted in a machineframe 4. The cylinders are driven, e. g. by way of a pair of bevel gears5, by means of a gear 6 having skewed or helical teeth, which gear iskeyed to the shaft of the counterpressure cylinder 6 and engaged with anaxially displaceable gear wheel I having skewed or helical teeth. Aspurgear wheel 8 rigidly keyed to the axle of rubber cylinder 2 and meshingwith gear wheel I by internal gear means drives a spur wheel 9. Ahandwheel I0 arranged on the machine side opposite to the drive gear,serves for adjusting the lateral register, and a second handwheel IIserves for adjusting the circumferential register.

As shown in Fig. 2, the gear wheel I which is provided with skewed orhelical teeth, is mounted axially displaceable on the extended hub I2 ofspur wheel 8 and is provided on its side with an external gear I3 whichmeshes with an internal gear Id of spur wheel 8 which is rigidly keyedto the cylinder axle I6. Drive is transmitted by way of the internalgears I3, I4 from gear wheel 1 onto the spur wheel 8.

For the purpose of axially displacing the helical gear wheel I, in orderto adjust the circumferential register, there is provided a rod I'Itraversing the hollow cylinder axle I6. The rod- IT at one end iscoupled to gear wheel I by means; of a disc I8 and screws I9, and at theotherend to an adjusting mechanism shown in section; in Fig. 3 andactuated by means of handwheel II.

The cylinder I is axially displaceable rela-- tively to the machineframe 4 by means of hand-- wheel ID for lateral register, and suchdisplacement does not affect the position of the cylin ders 2 and 3which are axially non-displaceable Circumferential register of cylinderI with re-- spect to cylinders 2 and 3 is brought about by" turninghandwheel I I whereby the rod I! and thus the gear wheel 'I is axiallydisplaced. Gear wheel I, being in mesh with the helical gear:

wheel 6, is rotated by virtue of its axial displacement with respect tothe latter, and spur wheel 8 follows the rotation of gear wheel I andinturn rotates the spur wheel 9 so as to turn the cylinder I intocircumferential register with the cylinders 2 and 3. It is to be notedthat the gear wheels I and 9 are of lesser face width than therespective gear wheels 6 and ii meshing therewith, and that also theintermeshing internal gears I3, I 1 'are of substantial width, and thewheels I and 8 thus may be axially displaced to quite some extent withrespect to the wheels 6 and 9 and still be in engagement therewith. Itfurther is to be noted that the mechanism for axially displacing thecylinder l by means of handwheel I0 is similar to that shown in Fig. 3for axiallx displacing the; rod I1, and gear wheel 1.

The internal; gearing 1,3, M has; the advantage of a comparatively largediameter, which feature prevents any substantial backlash in thecircumeferential direction. The power is distributed onto all the teeth,and the-i=esulting low tooth: pressure allows a remarkably easy axialdisplacement of the internal gears I3, I 4 relatively to each other.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a circumferential cylinder register mech anism for rotary printingmachines in which the cylinder drive mechanism comprises a pair ofhelical gear wheels and a spur gear wheel rigidly keyed to the axle of acylinder and having intergears between the spur gear and one of hfi iQalgear wheels wherein the axial displacement, at said latter helical gearwheelv causes the. additional rotation of arcylinder as; required, forcilfiumferential cylinder register theimproyfiment consisting inincorporating; an;

4 extended hub on said spur gear wheel, said ex tended hub bearing theaxially displaceable helical gear wheel, an external gear on the side ofsaid helical gear wheel, and an internal gear on said spur gear wheelmeshing with said external gear for transmitting rotation of saidaxially displaceable helical gear wheel to said spur gearwheel.

2. In circumferential cylinder register mechanism as claimed claim 1, ahollow cylinder axle for one said cylinder supporting said spur gearwheel, arod inserted through said hollow axle,,.sa-id rod at one endbeing connected to the said displaceable helical gear wheel and amanuall-y actuableadiusting mechanism connected ta theother endthereof.7

MAX RAS.

Bzefexences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 745,469 'Ba-rber Feb. 4'; 15930 2002584 Rawson May 28,1935 2,539,066 Jan. 23', 1951 2,554,345 Potdevin 1\'Iay'22,1951

